Saturday, June 18, 2016

Barbecue season isn't just for meat eaters; I tried out our "new" grill today with this delicious grilled tofu recipe.

Balsamic glazed tofu

Ingredients: serves 2-4

- 2 packages of tofu, blotted and pressed dry

- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce

- 3 tablespoons of olive oil

- 3 cloves of crushed garlic

- herbs

- salt

- pepper

Make marinade by mixing together vinegar, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, herbs, salt, and pepper. For herbs I used dried oregano and fresh chopped basil.

Slice tofu into pieces about 1/2" thick; I cut each block of tofu into 6 triangles as shown. Lay tofu on a cookie sheet and pour marinade on top, covering completely. Let sit for 30 min.

Flip tofu over and marinate the other side for 30 min.

When the tofu is done marinating remove the slices and put them on a plate. Pour the extra sauce in a sauce pan and bring to a boil on the stove. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes to make a glaze. Remember to stir constantly to avoid burning the sauce.

Cook the tofu over a grill, and pour the glaze sauce on top. Grilling time will depend on type of grill and heat. Remember to flip to cook both sides evenly. Tofu is done when the outside becomes brown and cooked.

Monday, June 13, 2016

I love ordering the popular Indo-Chinese dish gobi manchurian at restaurants, so decided to try to make some at home. Here is my version of the fried cauliflower dish - I found a couple of recipes online which I used as general guidelines, and then adapted based on the ingredients I had at home.

Ingredients:

- cauliflower, chopped into bite size pieces

- cornstarch

- flour

- soy sauce

- rice vinegar

- garlic

- onion, peeled and chopped

- scallions

- sesame seeds

- oil

- salt

- turmeric

- chili powder

- sugar

Bring a pot of water to boil with salt and turmeric stirred in. Add cauliflower and cook until tender.

When cauliflower is cooked, drain and set aside.

Make batter by mixing together about a 1/2 cup of flour, a 1/4 cup of cornstarch, a teaspoon of soy sauce, a teaspoon of chili powder, a clove of crushed garlic, salt to taste, and enough water to make a medium thick batter.

Dip the cauliflower in the batter to completely coat.

Heat up oil in a pan, and add battered cauliflower.

When cauliflower is cooked on one side, flip over and cook the other side.

Put cauliflower on a paper towel to dry when completely cooked.

Meanwhile, heat up oil in a frying pan and add half of a chopped onion. Add a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of sugar, and a clove of crushed garlic. Cook until onion starts to brown, then add a little soy sauce and rice vinegar to taste.

Add the cooked cauliflower to the pan, and pour on a small amount of cornstarch mixed with water to thicken the dish. Cook for a few minutes.

Wow! I had the ingredients on hand and made this last night, and it is delicious! I used coconut oil for the frying and was able to fry at a fairly high temp without burning. It wasn't greasy, so I omitted the paper towel step. The entire dinner took about half an hour - I started the onions while the cauliflower was boiling. I served it with a side of lentils.